A New Month Begins

I just had to post something today to make sure the blog continues! So, in the spirit of keeping the creative juices flowing, I have spent the last hour or so brainstorming some new story ideas. I've jotted down a few things, but need to go back to them tomorrow. This started me thinking about how I get ideas and plan stories. Tonight I sat down with my laptop and thought about a few different scenarios in a few different genres. Then I just typed up some sketchy ideas as bullet points. But I have found that strangely unsatisfying. Now I want to get out coloured pencils and make a mind map for each idea. Perhaps I'm in a visual mood at the moment, I don't know. So tomorrow, I'll be doing the "butcher's paper" equivalent for a writer: putting ideas into bubbles and linking them with arrows and diagrams! Maybe December can be Imagination Month!

THE END!!

It is over! Here is the end of the story! I finished with a 1300 word conclusion and The Forgotten Children is 15 039 words. I am quite proud of it. Sure, there are things wrong with it, but it's basically an interesting story. In December, I'll get into editing and polishing. Of course, the challenge now is to ensure that this blog doesn't become an anything book.. I'll do my best!

So, the final statistics. In November writing month, I wrote 15,039 words of The Forgotten Children, plus 7025 words for 2 contracted pieces of work. That's a grand total of 22 064 words for the month, or an average of 735 words per day. Not bad!

But enough of the stats. Here is "the end of the end!" Thanks for reading! (Oh and Emma - watch out for Peg...)
****
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The owl dived at Sixpence, who leapt out of the way, hissing and spitting. In the sudden silence, the children awoke from their trance. On seeing Hannah, Charlotte gave a cry of joy and raced towards her. The other children followed. Richard and Sarah grabbed their hands and pushed them one by one through the hole in the rock, which was already beginning to close.

Desperately, the stranger tried to grab the pipe, but his leg was bleeding and he limped painfully. Troy was faster. Sprinting to where the pipe lay, he picked it up with a cry of triumph.
“You will not control us anymore!” he yelled at the stranger. He ran towards the rock, confident that the injured man could not follow him. But just as he ran through the entrance, he heard a frantic cry.
“Troy! Help me! Please help me!”

Turning, Troy saw James. In the commotion, the young boy had tripped and was struggling to get to his feet. Troy began to run back towards him. With a screech, the owl flew in front of James, so close that Troy could feel the beating of its wings. The bird perched on the shoulders of the terrified James, who sobbed as the sharp talons dug into his flesh. Before Troy knew it, he was looking into the eyes of the bird. Immediately, he heard the voice of the stranger in his mind.

Leave him, said the voice. You have no time left. The rock is closing! Leave the boy with me. He is of no use in your village. He wants to stay here anyway.
Troy shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the hypnotizing voice. “He does not,” he said. “He wants to come back with us.”
James continued to sob. It was too late. He was trapped. “Save yourself, Troy,” he cried. “I do not matter.”
You see? The voice was insistent. He wants to stay.
With an almighty effort, Troy tore his eyes away from the bird. “No!” he yelled. He ran at the owl waving his arms, causing the to rise into the air once more. He grabbed James’ hand and together they took the last few steps towards the rock. With the rumbling loud in their eyes, they dived into the hole. Dimly, Troy was aware of an angry, almost inhuman howl behind them as the rock closed.


“Oh, thank God! They are all right!” Sarah was sobbing as Richard helped a shaken Troy and James to their feet. Troy looked over to see the rest of the group sitting on the ground nearby. The children, who looked dazed and confused, were being comforted by their relieved parents. Charlotte sat enveloped in her mother’s arms. On her lap sat Sixpence, who was purring loudly and looked quite proud of himself.

“Mama?” Charlotte said. “How did you.. When did you.. I don’t understand.”
“I will explain everything when we get home,” said Hannah. She looked around at the others. “I think we should all go home,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I have no wish to stay on this mountainside any longer.”

Moments later, the group traipsed back along the twisting and turning path towards the village. No one but Sixpence noticed the mule that brayed as they passed by. Peg looked at Sixpence, who was travelling contentedly in Charlotte’s arms.
You found them then, Peg seemed to say and Sixpence miaowed in response.
The village lights blinked invitingly as the party made their way to their cottages and fell into an exhausted sleep.

***
“No! I won’t allow it!”
The next morning, Sarah was protesting loudly as a meeting of the village was held. Troy stood at the front of the group, the stranger’s pipe in his hand.
“But I have to, Mama,” he said. “It is only right. I will be perfectly safe.”
“No.” Sarah shook her head again. “We are fortunate that everyone survived,” she said. “Why on earth would you want to go back up the hillside and risk being taken again?”
“I won’t be taken,” said Troy. “I have the pipe and I resisted the owl. I will be quite safe. But if I don’t do this, we may be in danger again. Would you want other children to be taken in the future?”
“Of course not,” said Sarah, defeated.

Charlotte stepped forward to stand next to Troy.
“Troy is right,” she said. “The stranger spoke of a debt unpaid. He did rid the town of the rats. You all promised to pay him, but you didn’t. That’s why he took us. If he isn’t paid, the debt will remain and he might come back.”
“Besides,” said Troy. “I won’t go through the rock. I am just going to play the pipe so that the entrance is visible. Then I can throw the stranger’s fee through the opening. The rock will close again and the debt will be paid.”
“Then we can destroy the pipe, so that this never happens again,” added Charlotte. She looked around the group of adults, who were reluctantly nodding.

At last, Richard stepped forward. “Very well,” he said. “But I will go. It was my fault in the first place that the stranger was not paid. I will not put you all in danger again.”
“But I want to go,” said Troy.
“So do I,” said Charlotte.
“And I,” said James.
“We are part of this village,” said Troy. “Soon we will be adults ourselves. You can trust us with this task.”

Hannah stood up. “Our children have shown more wisdom than we did,” she said. “We should let them go. But we will be close by.”
“Let’s go now,” said James. “It is full daylight. The owl will be sleeping. It will be safer.”
“James is right,” said Troy. “Come on!”

A short while later, they were standing back in front of the rocks. Despite their bravado, all the children looked uneasy. Troy held the pipe to his lips. “Here we go,” he said. He began to play and the music filled the air. But in his hands, the melody sounded different. Instead of an intoxicating tune, the notes were gentle.
“You see?” whispered Hannah to Sarah. “Our children are making peace.” She smiled as Charlotte stepped forward, a heavy cloth bag in her hand. As the rock opened, she flung the bag through the hole.
“There!” she called. “Our debt is paid! Now you can leave us alone!”

The bag disappeared through the opening and Troy stopped playing. Everyone watched in silence as the gap in the rock closed.
Troy held the pipe out towards James. “Would you like to do the honours?” he asked.
James smiled. He placed the pipe on the ground in front of him and took a step back. He removed the small axe that he had slung over his shoulder and brought it down on the pipe, splintering the wood into many pieces.
“It is over!” called Troy. “Now let’s all go home.”
The cheers of the crown echoed around the mountainside.

***
It was night. A limping figure prowled the shadows, stopping to pick up a cloth bag from the foot of the tree. “Well well well…” he said softly. He spread out his cloak with a flourish and immediately a large owl swooped down from the sky, dropping a small bundle at the man’s feet.
The stranger picked up the pieces of wood and a smile spread slowly across his face.
“Well done, my night wanderer,” he said. Carefully, he opened the bag and dropped the pieces of wood inside.
“It is time we were on our way,” he said. He dropped his cloak and together they disappeared into the dark.

The Penultimate Story Post!

I am REALLY enjoying writing this ending. There are 781 words in this second last post. Tomorrow, all will be revealed and November writing month will end. Then, the editing of The Forgotten Children will begin. I am pleased with most of what I have come up with and look forward to the tightening/changing/polishing process that follows. Week 4 stats were:
Saturday - 310, Sunday - 555, Monday - 438, Tuesday - 551, Wednesday - 400, Thursday - 509, Friday - 853
Total: 3616 words Average: 517 per day.
With 1 more day left in November, I'll do a final stats report tomorrow. But here is the "middle of the end"!
*******
There was a deep rumbling as the doorway through the mountainside opened in front of Hannah’s astonished eyes. She looked across at Richard and Sarah, who stood transfixed, watching as the rock seemed to open as easily as the cracking of an egg. “Come on!” she said. “We have to go through!”
James was already halfway through the opening, his face glowing with joy. “I am coming!” he cried.
Feeling equally determined and frightened, Hannah and the others followed.

Relieved that his makeshift earplugs seemed to be working, Troy watched as the rock opened. He could see the stranger’s fingers caressing the wooden pipe, but could only faintly hear the mesmerizing notes it created. It must be enough, he thought. I can still think clearly. Taking a deep breath, he saw a figure emerging and saw James’ painful progress. Just a little further, he thought to himself. Then we will all help you. At that moment, he looked past the tree to the clearing beyond. At last! There were Charlotte and the others, walking towards him. Troy raised a hand to give the signal, but soon realized that something was wrong. Charlotte was walking slowly, leading Clara by the hand. Both were smiling, their eyes shining. Oh Charlotte, thought Troy. You didn’t remember about the music. Desperately, he tried to think of a solution. Should he just save himself? Should he race back through the rock and go to the village to get help? But by the time I get back, he thought, the rock will have closed again. What am I going to do?

“James!” It was Charlotte’s voice. “It is so wonderful to see you!”
Troy watched as Charlotte ran forward and hugged her young friend. He closed his eyes. It is hopeless, he thought.

“No!”
Another voice cut through the music. Stunned, Troy opened his eyes as he recognized the voice’s familiar tone. He turned his head back to the rock and saw his parents and Charlotte’s mother stumble through the opening. How had they made it through? “Mother! Father!” Without thinking, Troy ran from his hiding place and embraced them.

“Troy!” Sarah was sobbing. Her hands went to his face. “Are you injured? What has happened?” Even up close, her voice was muffled. Troy shrank back as she put out a hand to push aside the material covering his ears. “No, Mother,” he explained. “It’s blocking the music. Quickly! We have to get the others out before the rock closes again!” The three of them hurried towards the group of children.

“Charlotte?” Hannah was already walking towards her daughter. Charlotte looked at her, but the young girl’s eyes were vacant, as if she didn’t recognize Hannah. “Come on, Charlotte. It is time to go now.”
At this, Charlotte’s expression cleared and was replaced with a look so angry that Hannah took an involuntary step backwards.
“No!” said Charlotte, forcefully. “I will not leave here. I am a chosen one.”
Hannah gasped. “What are you talking about?” she said. “We have been searching for you every minute since we realized you and the others were missing. You must come home! You must all come home.”
Charlotte shook her head. “No,” she said again. “We are chosen. You are the ones who must leave. You must forget us.”
“How could we forget our children?” cried Hannah. “This is foolishness! You will come with me now!” She grabbed Charlotte’s arm, but the young girl shook off her grip.
“You cannot understand, Mrs Ross.” James was speaking now. He stepped forward, grasping Charlotte’s hand. “We all belong here. You do not. Go back. Forget us. It is all that you can do.”
Hannah staggered backwards. Sarah and Troy came to her, similar looks of despair on their faces. It did not matter what they tried. The other children would not move. “What can we do?” Hannah cried.

A movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn. The stranger appeared, still playing the pipe. His eyes narrowed. With the slightest movement of his arm, he signaled to a large owl that flew to perch on the edge of his cloak. The owl’s eyes locked with Hannah’s.
You see? Hannah gasped as a voice sounded in her head. This is what happens when promises to me are broken.
“YOU MONSTER!” Hannah tried to run towards the stranger. Horrified, she realized that she couldn’t move. Her feet seemed rooted to the spot.

Suddenly, a small furry shape scampered past her and launched itself at the stranger’s legs with an eerie yowl. Sixpence’s claws sank deep into the stranger’s flesh. With a cry he dropped the pipe and the music abruptly ceased.

The third last bit!

These 853 words came easily. It's actually getting a little bit exciting to write! So here is the beginning of the end, as it were!
**


The stranger swept past the group of seemingly sleeping children. He paid no attention to them, striding off down the pebbled path. As soon as he had gone, Charlotte and the others jumped to their feet. Charlotte put a comforting hand onto Sixpence’s back. The cat’s fur stood on end and his eyes were as wide as dinner plates. The deep growling noise still sounded in his throat.
“I know, I know,” said Charlotte, soothingly. “We are going, Sixpence. Don’t worry.” She signaled to the other children, who stood ready to follow her, already assembled in the two lines that they had planned. Clara stood next to Charlotte, holding onto the older girl’s skirts for comfort, as Charlotte’s hands were full carrying Sixpence’s squirming body.
“You must be quiet,” Charlotte whispered to Sixpence, “or we will be discovered.” Sixpence seemed to understand and the growling noise stopped, although his fur still stood on end and his eyes remained wide and wild. Walking as quietly as they could, the group followed in the direction of the stranger.
****
Did you think I had forgotten you?
James looked into the eyes of the owl that sat on the tree above him. He nodded.
I would never forget you, continued the voice. You are the most important of all of the chosen children.
“I am?” whispered James in amazement. “Why?”
Beside him, Hannah looked alarmed. “James, who are you talking to?” she asked. James paid her no attention. His eyes were fixed on the owl’s face. Suddenly, Hannah realized what was happening. “It’s the stranger, isn’t it?” she said. “He is talking to you!” Once again, James did not answer.
I was waiting to greet you, continued the voice that spoke to noone but James. You have had to endure much in your life so far. You have had to watch while others played? Your patience will be rewarded, James. When you enter my land, you will be the leader. Others will watch you. They will look to you for help. I had to prepare everything for your arrival. It wasn’t ready before. But it is now.

“When can I come in?” James’ eyes were shining with unshed tears. He couldn’t believe the kindness of the stranger’s voice.
As soon as you hear the music, came the reply. Come closer to the rock, James. Come forward now.

“Look!” said Hannah, to the others who had followed them up the hillside. James had stood and was limping slowly and painfully towards the largest rock in front of them.
“Why isn’t he listening to us?” asked Richard, as he and Sarah came to stand next to Hannah. “Is he bewitched or something?”
“I fear so,” said Hannah. “We will need to be ready. We cannot hear the voice, so we don’t know what he is being told. But if we want to get through that rock, we will need to be fast.” She turned and looked at the other adults, forming a huddle behind them. “I don’t think the rock will be open for long,” she said. “We won’t all fit through.”

Richard nodded and turned to the others. “The three of us will go in to rescue the children,” he said. “The rest of you will need to wait here.” He held up his hand to quiet the complaints that followed his announcement. “I know that you all want to come in,” he said. “But we need to move quickly. Would you want to lose the only chance we may have? Besides, if there is danger on the other side of the rock, we may need others to follow later. If we all go through at once, there will be noone to do that.”

Reluctantly, the rest of the group nodded and backed away. Richard, Sarah and Hannah took their place behind James. No one spoke. The tension flowed through the group. Everyone waited.

****

Troy’s stomach flipped as he recognized the tall shape coming towards him. The stranger! Troy pressed his body closer to the trunk. I must not be seen yet, he thought. Desperately, he scanned the horizon looking for Charlotte and the others. If only I can see them first, he thought. If I can make eye contact, I can remind them about the music!

The stranger came closer. He stopped only a few steps from the tree that Troy stood behind. Troy’s heart was pounding so hard he was sure that the stranger would hear it. But the man just stood there with a menacing smile on his face. From underneath his cloak, he pulled the wooden pipe. The stranger stood, stroking the rough wood. He was waiting too.

***
Charlotte and the others rounded the bend in the path and immediately Sixpence began to growl. The stranger was up ahead! Charlotte motioned to the others. They broke from their lines and assembled in a tight group with Charlotte in the lead. Her eyes looked for Troy. Where was he? He had to give the signal to run!

Suddenly, the stranger moved. He raised an object to his lips and began to play.

Hmmm. This is tricky!

I have to admit that I am trying to solve this mystery along with my characters. We are struggling a bit! But here are the 509 words we came up with.. It was Thursday 27th when we began!
********
Troy moved as quickly and as quietly as he could. I have to keep up, he told himself. I can’t let the owl get too far in front of me. As he half-walked, half-ran, he thought back over the plan that he had made with Charlotte. Deciding that the stranger would certainly notice if everyone had tried to escape at once, Troy had suggested that he follow the owl first and take up a hiding place. When the stranger left to meet the owl, Charlotte and the others would follow at a safe distance, so that everyone would be near the rock when it opened. At that point, they would all run through the entrance, back to the safety of their village. But the more Troy thought about it as he struggled to keep up with the owl, the more he began to realize that their plan was flawed. We were too desperate to get home, he thought. We didn’t think it through. The stranger won’t let us go that easily. What if the rock doesn’t open fast enough? What if the stranger hears Charlotte and the others following him? This is too dangerous! He was so deep in thought that he almost missed the owl’s descent. It flew down towards a tree with a broad branch. Its wings skimmed the top of the branch and it disappeared. It wouldn’t be long now.

Troy’s mind raced. If the owl was in position, the stranger would soon be on the move. Perhaps the owl was already looking at James, the stranger’s thoughts entering the young boy’s mind. Troy sighed. He remembered how good it had felt at first. He remembered feeling excited at the thought of being chosen and of the joyous sound of the music…

The music! Troy gasped. They had forgotten about the music! The music had made them forget their worries. It had bewitched them. As long as the music played, they had done the stranger’s bidding.

I have to block the noise of that pipe! Troy thought. I have to be able to think clearly! Frantically, he grabbed the sleeve of his shirt with both hands and yanked hard. He felt the stitches pull and he yanked again. This time there was a tearing sound. With one more hard pull, the remaining stitches pulled away and Troy was holding the soft cotton fabric. His hands trembled as he tore the fabric into smaller strips. First he tore two smaller pieces, which he rolled around his fingers, until they made a small ball. These he pushed into his ears. Then he wound the remaining strip of fabric around his head in a thick wad, before knotting the ends firmly. Troy clicked his fingers and was relieved to hear that the sound was much fainter than normal. I hope that’s enough, he thought. He took up his hiding place behind the tree with the thickest trunk. “Please Charlotte,” he whispered, watching back down the path he had travelled, “please remember about the music. You have to remember.”

Nearly there!

And it's down to the final four... Here are 400 more words. What's going to happen??? (I think I know now!)
***********
“What do you mean?” asked Charlotte.
“Look at what just happened,” said Troy. “Sixpence knew the stranger was coming before we did. You saw his reaction.”
“He did the same thing when he saw the owl at home,” said Charlotte, remembering. “He hissed at it and tried to chase it away.”
“That’s even better,” said Troy. “We all saw the owl first anyway. It would make sense that the stranger would send it out before him.”

Charlotte shivered.
“What’s the matter?” asked Troy. “Are you cold?”
“No,” said Charlotte. “I just realized – it’s really like we are being hunted, isn’t it? The owl went looking for its prey and led it back to the hunter. I don’t like the feeling that I was someone’s prey. And now we have to wait to see if James is the next to be captured.”
“No we don’t,” said Troy. “Let’s get everyone together. I’ve got an idea.”
******
Later in the afternoon, James gripped Hannah’s hand as they began their return trip up the hillside. “Now you mustn’t worry,” said Hannah. “You won’t be alone. Remember that. We will all be there, out of sight. As soon as the passageway opens, we will follow you through.”
James nodded. “I know,” he said. “Just…” he hesitated.
“Just what?” said Hannah.
“Just don’t forget it will take me a while to walk through. The entrance will probably close quickly again. You will have to run fast.”
Hannah squeezed his hand tightly. “It will be all right,” she said.
I hope so, thought James. Before he knew it, the rocks came into view.

******
Sixpence began to growl and seconds later, the owl left the tree and began circling above them. It circled twice and was gone.
“Right,” said Troy. “That was my signal.” He patted Sixpence and stood up. He smiled at Charlotte. “You and the others know what to do?” he said.
“Yes,” said Charlotte. “We will meet you there.” Just as Troy turned to go, she grabbed his hand.
“Be careful,” she said.
Troy squeezed her hand. “I will be,” he said. “See you soon.”
Charlotte and the other children watched as he disappeared down the path, his eye on the owl ahead.
As soon as he had gone, Clara scuttled over and snuggled close to Charlotte’s side.
“Don’t worry,” said Charlotte. “We’ll be going home soon.” I hope, she added silently.

No words of wisdom tonight, just 551 words!

Charlotte looked at Troy, her eyes shining. “Do you know what this means?” she said. “If Sixpence is here, he must have come from home. There must be a way back and he knows where it is.”
“That doesn’t help us,” said Troy. “He can hardly tell us how to get home, can he?”
“I suppose not,” admitted Charlotte. “But maybe Mother noticed that he is missing too and come looking for us both.”

“I thought you were convinced that noone would bother to look for us,” said Troy, with a grin.
Charlotte grinned back. “All right,” she said. “I admit that was foolish. Of course Mother would look for me. I don’t know why I believed otherwise.”
“It’s the stranger,” said Troy. “I told you he is just trying to control our thoughts.”
“I wonder how he manages to do it,” said Charlotte.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” said Troy. “I think he is at his most powerful when he is blowing his pipe. Perhaps if we could get the pipe away from him, we’d be able to escape.”
Charlotte nodded. “That sounds like a good idea,” she said, “but we wouldn’t know which way to –“
She stopped speaking, abruptly. Sixpence had started to make a warning sound in his throat. His fur stood up on end and his eyes grew wide and wild-looking.
“Ssh!” said Charlotte. “Someone must be coming.”

The stranger strode out of the trees towards the group of children. He didn’t seem to be looking at them though. He gazed vaguely over their heads, muttering to himself.
“It’s almost like he’s counting us,” whispered Troy. “He looks like he’s counting us to see if anyone is missing.”

The stranger smiled a menacing smile and muttered something to himself before striding back the way he came.
Charlotte motioned Clara to sit up and she turned and looked at the rest of the children, scanning the group for a familiar face.
“Oh no!” she said. “Someone IS missing.”
“Who?” asked Troy. “I thought all the children of the village were here.”
“All except James,” said Charlotte. “James is missing!” Picking Sixpence up in her arms, she got to her feet and started pacing up and down. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice until now,” she said. “I just assumed that he had come along with the rest of us.”

“He does move fairly slowly,” said Troy. “There mustn’t have been time for him to follow us.” He scuffed the dirt in front of him with his shoe. “I never thought I would envy James,” he said, “but I do. He is safe.”
“He wouldn’t like it, even if he is safe,” said Charlotte. “He always wanted to join in with whatever we were doing. I am sure he would have followed us here if he could.”
“Do you think the stranger was counting us?” asked Troy. “Do you think he has realized that James is missing?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged Charlotte. “Why?”
“Because,” said Troy. “If the stranger is going to try and get James, we can follow. Then we can rush through the rock and go home!”
“But how will we know when the stranger is going to prowl about?” said Charlotte.
Troy looked at Sixpence, thoughtfully. “Maybe Sixpence can help us after all,” he said.

The end is in sight..

This time next week, it will be December. Writing month will be officially over and the story of The Forgotten Children will be finished. I must admit, I'm still not entirely sure how it will all work itself out. I have a general idea, but it changes daily. Sometimes paragraphs seem to write themselves and I am pleasantly surprised by what the characters have decided to make happen! So I guess I will have to leave it up to them! Here are their next 438 words... :-)
****************
The children all huddled together. Some were frightened and crying; others looked angry. Two of the younger children just looked around them in a dazed sort of way, as if they expected to wake from their dream any minute. The youngest of them all, Clara, shyly pulled on the sleeve of Charlotte’s dress. Charlotte looked down at her and tried to smile.
“Hello, Clara,” she said. “Are you all right?”
Clara nodded, but snuggled closer to the older girl and laid her head on Charlotte’s shoulder. “I want to go home,” she said.
Charlotte patted the top of Clara’s head. “I know you do,” she whispered. “So do I.”
“When will we go home?”
Charlotte looked across at Troy, helplessly. “Soon,” she said. “Soon.” But as she spoke the words, she found herself thinking, Will we really go home? Will I ever see my mother again?

“It will be all right,” said Troy to the group of children around him. “We will get out of here.” They looked around warily, but both the stranger and the owl seemed to have disappeared. Even so, the children whispered.

“How will we get out?” asked Charlotte. “What if the stranger spoke the truth? What if our families have forgotten us?”
“Don’t be silly,” said Troy. “We haven’t been gone for that long. They would have noticed as soon as they awoke. By now, I am sure they will be working on a plan to come and rescue us.”

“Are you really sure?” said Charlotte. “What if it is as the stranger said? He was right about my mother refusing to believe me when I told her about the owl and the curse. If he was right about that, maybe he is right about us being the Forgotten Children too.”

Troy shook his head. “That is what he wants you to think,” he said.
“What do you mean?” asked Charlotte.
“Think about it,” said Troy. “Everything the stranger has done so far, he has been able to do because he has controlled our thoughts. He sent the owl and charmed us with his voice. Then he used his pipe to make us follow him. Now he is trying to control us again, by making us think that we have been forgotten. We can’t believe him. That’s what makes him so powerful.”
Charlotte nodded. “I suppose you are right,” she said.

A sudden noise behind them made them jump. A furry object raced towards Charlotte and landed squarely in her lap. Charlotte stifled a scream. She looked down and gasped with joy.
“Sixpence!” she said. “How on earth did you find us?